Innocence Lost
by JadedLioness
Summary: Layla Tempest is one of the first in a new Night World Species.
1. Prologue

Time had passed since her initial change. Since she had become something unique and yet so different from the rest of the world. She could remember leaving her brother alone, ready to explore the world on her own. Her mind showed her images of the past, when both her and her brother were innocents long ago. But every innocent had to grow up didn't they? Life was designed to make you grow up. Changes happened and then nothing would ever be the same. The changes she had undergone would never be repeated. Once before time moved on Layla Tempest had been an ordinary witch and now she would never be ordinary again. First a witch, then a made vampire and then something completely different. No longer an innocent with limited witch powers.  
  
^Witch…^ The thought made a smile crease her elegant features. Not only was it how she had begun life, but it was how her prey would be finishing it. Her head tilted, eyes of the deepest oceans concentrating on one simple thing. Images fluttered through her head like butterflies and it took an immense amount of will power for her to not close her eyes, to not dream of the possibilities. But closing her eyes would be a mistake that she could not afford to make. Why would she? She was stronger than the witch. Her façade as a vampire put her above the young witch boy, but it wasn't that simple. The young man's bad luck and good looks saddened part of her. For what else would you call catching her attention, other than bad luck?  
  
A sigh escaped her lips; her smile growing as she realized the boy lacked the hearing that she had. Her small sigh would mix with the other sounds of the forest, mingling in the boys mortal ears before becoming nothing but a harmless whisper amongst trees. How would she use this one? A bed partner was out of the question for a number of reasons; one was the fact that it would be degrading for her to take such a peasant as a lover. Even for just one night, the boy would ruin a reputation she had fought hard for. Many were envious of the position she held in the eyes of the Lord Windsor. Even her lover was oblivious to her true nature, of her true species. The only one amongst court who knew of her was Tivona, a young girl that Layla had sired not long ago. The girl was fast becoming a good friend and her intelligence made her extremely useful to Layla.  
  
The thought of her newfound friend transformed her smile into a frown that deepened as she bent to kneel in the forest's floor of leaves. Halfway she stopped, casting a glance down at the embroidered dress she wore. Her lover had arranged to meet her at around noon and when she had left the safety of his home it had already been nearly half eleven. She wished she could spend longer with the boy, longer with the fantasies flying around aimlessly in her mind. But time was moving once again, leaving her with no choice. If she allowed herself not to feed before meeting her lover she would have to wait even longer to feed. Her eyes traced over the neck of the boy as his body bent, chopping more wood needed to fuel the great fires in the House's kitchens. The distance did not hinder her sight and she instinctively found the boy's pulse. The blood was flowing through it, filled not only with food but also with power. Her legs moved slowly beneath the skirts of her dress, carrying her towards the boy. She had enough time to play first; there had never been anyone to tell Layla that it was rude to play with your food. 


	2. Chapter 1

Tivona and Reed are © Tracy (tracylynn1983@yahoo.com)  
  
Chapter 1:  
  
The only thing that kept Tivona from joining Lord Reed in his constant posting was that she hoped Layla would not be stupid enough to neglect the meeting she had arranged with her lover. Her forest green orbs were following the frantic Lord back and forth and was sure it was enough to send any mortal to sleep. She made a note to mention that to Layla, smiling in amusement as she thought of her Sire suggesting finding some unwanted human servant to test her theory. That was the difference between Tivona and her sire. Unlike Layla the idea of power did not interest her, she was satisfied with remaining alive and safe. There had been rumours that some members of the Night World were not particularly happy with the knowledge of the new species. They were more powerful than the average witch or vampire and it was only the extinct dragons that seemed to be more powerful than the Tempests so far. But it was not surprising since the original tale of how the Originals became Tempests told how dragon blood mixed with the blood of Layla and her brother, forming a new species.  
  
"Is there something amusing Lady Tivona?" a sharp voice rang out in the hall, interrupting her musing. Her eyes flickered to the Lord of the House, Reed Windsor. Hair as copper as Layla's, it was one of the many common factors that they shared. It was their eyes, the windows into their souls that were completely the opposite. Layla's were like oceans, sometimes the calmest of waters and at other times a vibrant aquamarine that echoed the troubled, dangerous side of any ocean. But Reed's were so different. A deep brown, his eyes reflected the fires of hell. Almost black they had deep flecks of red that caused his eyes to become like fire when angered. Tivona did her best not to flinch now under the weight of his gaze, for she had seen Reed angry and it was far from a pretty sight.  
  
His long hair had been pulled up by a simple bow, brining attention to his chiselled face. His choice of clothes for this meeting with his lover was a deep green tunic complete with a trimming of black fur. His tights were the colour of coal and she wondered why he bothered to go armed with his sword on his belt. She knew that Layla could handle herself but it was unnerving that the Lord would go armed when out with the older Tempest. Of course it was well known that Layla could handle herself, but Tivona could not help but worry. Many were aware of how each species of the Nigh World could be hurt by a certain substance, but no one knew what could harm a Tempest. Perhaps they were as moral as a human was; perhaps the dragon blood mixed with the vampire blood had made them stronger. No one knew and of course Reed had no idea of their unique species.  
  
"Well?" Reed inquired, his eyes becoming ever so slightly piercing. Tivona was all too…quiet for his liking. Whatever Layla saw in her was beyond him. But Layla. The girl was beautiful in her own right with an air of authority and power about her. That was what had attracted her to him in the first place, who wouldn't be attracted to it? Her power was immense and her power had been compared to his own before now. She was descended from Maya while she had made him; it was not difficult to see how a lamia could have strength so similar to his own. Yet even he could not say that it was only her power that had lead him to her. He could lie to others but not to himself, forever anyway. He had always considered lying to oneself weak, a weakness that no Lord needed. That was why he was admitting to himself know, even if it was only in his thoughts that Layla was different to any other female among the Night World. Most did not hold his attention for long, while very few were able to actually provide some refreshing entertainment now and again. But her… she was so different. Creative, intelligent and of course undeniably feminine.  
  
"No My Lord," the woman replied, distracting Reed from musing about his lover, "I was just considering how much you long to be with her, it is quite pleasing to see that not all the men at court are avoiding time spent with Layla."  
  
"Now, now Tivona, you should know that quite a few men would be quite happy to accompany me today," the voice was familiar and angered him in some way he would never know. As he turned to meet his lover he found the anger had dispersed as her turquoise eyes danced over his form, trouble brewing in her gaze. Her hand rested on the arm he offered her instinctively, her face turning to address her friend once more. Envy rose up within him, for although he was the only one who managed to keep her successfully in his bed for more than one night, she would remain a mystery to him. He would never be able to be as close to her as Tivona was nor share any understanding with her. It was the feeling that all men got when it became obvious just how big the gap between the sexes were. In the past he had also felt it but only Layla made it actually bother him.  
  
"That is why my dear Lord must remain armed while with me…." Layla said, closing the small gap between their bodies, while her had slipped to touch the hilt of his sword, "unless he has something else in mine entirely." A wicked smile curled her lips and Reed drew a hand up to cup her chin. As he leant down to brush his lips with hers, a small polite cough sounded out from behind them.  
  
Rolling his eyes he made himself listen under Layla's watchful gaze, she was protective of the other woman for a reason that would never be known to him. "I will let you two be now," Tivona informed them, but Reed was not interested in what she had to say; he just wanted her to leave them, "It is about time for me to check on the baby." His eyes followed the half witch- half vampire's form as she began to descend the stairs that lead to the main House.  
  
"Where were we…?" Layla began, her body stretching out in order to meet his lips. But he evaded her lips, giving a small shake of his head. He half expected her to pout like the other ladies at court, but this was Layla. Pouting was too childish for her and instead he simply received an arched eyebrow. A question shone in her eyes and he knew she was waiting for him to explain. Did she know what she was asking? Reed had no reason to explain anything to anyone; not even Layla could tame his arrogance.  
  
"Come," he told her, his soft tone keeping it from becoming an order. It was well known that the female vampire had a problem with orders; she chose to ignore them. It was one of her traits that attracted Reed and one that amused him, although even he chose to be wary around her. He moved away from her, his movements showing him for what he truly was, a predator. He paused in the doorway she had entered through not long before, his hand outstretched in a silent invitation. "You can repay me later – for being late." His tone was bitter but if Layla noticed she chose to ignore it, purposefully waiting a few moments before joining him. The rest of the afternoon promised to be far from dull.  
  
Please leave any comments and suggestions. I know the general story line but there are just some parts that need filling in. 


	3. Chapter 2

The weather was warm, a pleasant day by all accounts. Her ears could hear the sounds of rabbits deep within the bushes that sprung up on either side of them. Her eyes barely away from the road, well the dusty path in front of them. The forest was beautiful, that even she could not argue with. Originally a witch before she was forced to become a vampire, before she became something new, Layla had never been attuned to nature as much as her brother had. Hakeem was the true witch out of the pair of them. He was far too like their mother. Their mother, who had betrayed them, betrayed her own two children. Why? Power of course, what else interested just about everyone? Immortality for their mother was the price for her innocence. Her brother, as peaceful and forgiving as he usually was, did not seem to realise that power was the one thing in the world that they would always have. It was not difficult to notice how Layla had adapted easily to a world where power was so important.  
  
But even power was not enough for her. Where she was now she had power. But it was not enough and deep in the back of her mind she knew that one day leaving would be the only answer. She also found it difficult to believe that she would find someone like Reed. Of course his arrogance annoyed her but that was all a part of this era. Men ruled, woman were weak defenceless and to be used. At the beginning Reed had attempted to bend her to his will to no success. Although he gave her more freedom than most men allowed any woman, even a strange woman, he still expected to be in charge, to rule supreme. One day it would come to one answer. Leaving.  
  
There was another problem to consider. What she truly was. A Tempest. so named by her original family name. It seemed strange to keep her original after the betrayal she felt at the hands of the two main members of her family - her parents.  
  
The problems involving her parents were long gone though and although the memories were still fresh in her mind they would most likely never be a problem again. In all the years she had been alive neither of them had appeared at any time. It was quite possible for either of them to have become a vampire and it would surprise Layla if her father had not had his friend change him into one. The same friend that had changed her and her brother so long ago, beginning the chain of events that had led them to grow to be so different.  
  
Different. On first appearance they looked the same as any other member of the Night World, unnaturally beautiful. But the power they could wield was only just beginning to be found out by the rest of the Night World. There had been a few situations involving Tempests and others that had already shown many of them that it would be unlikely for them to ever be accepted by any of them. From what she knew of her lover, Reed was one of the many typical vampires that would, she was certain, try to kill her.  
  
"What keeps you from being mine?" Reed's voice startled her, abruptly interrupting her thoughts. As usual he expected her attention to be on him constantly, for of course he was the Lord and she was simply the one that shared his bed.  
  
"Not something you should worry yourself about M'Lord," she replied, her eyes turning to him. He rode next to her, the path allowing them to ride in this manner. The look in his eyes pointed out that the answer she had given him would not do. Holding back the temptation to roll her eyes in annoyance, she added, "Just the past…. I keep recalling memories that no longer matter. I keep forgetting that it is only the future that is now of any importance."  
  
It surprised her when he actually smiled, his eyes lighting up. "Come, let us rest. We have after all been riding for a while now." Watching as he spurred his horse onwards, he moved past her to ride on ahead of her. He assumed a light trot and she followed his example. One thing that bothered Layla was sitting side-saddle but the gown she was wearing did not allow enough movement for her to sit like a man and of course it would have not been proper.  
  
The forest around them passed in almost a blur, as if an artist had painted it using water paints. Them the path ended, leading into a large meadow. At this point the vampire Lord slowed and she followed suit once more. She urged her horse on to catch up with her lover and glanced sideways at him, a silent question in her eyes. He did not appear to notice her query at first or he decided to choose to ignore it. No matter which one, he came to a halt when they were quite far from the edges of the meadow. They had brought no servants with them, despite that being advisable and it was possible that the peasants that Reed treated with no respect could attack them at any time. Part of Layla felt for the starving children she had seen many a time, showing that she had spent too much time with the likes of Hakeem and Tivona. But she stopped herself from caring about them too much, not wanting to loose the position she held at the moment. The peasants were a threat however, which was why Reed had chosen to lead them to the middle of the meadow. It was too large for them to surround them, while they would have been closer to the forest and thus in more danger at the edge of the meadow.  
  
Surveying the land slowly, Reed's eyes were as capable as searching the landscape as her own were. He seemed happy with whatever he saw or did not see and dismounted his horse. He let the reins drop and the horse waited for some unknown reason before taking interest in the grass at its feet. His horse taken care of, Reed moved to her side and offered his hand to her. Smiling she accepted the offer and slowly slipped to the ground between him and her horse. Their eyes met for a brief second and in his eyes was an element that she had not seen before today. It startled her for a few moments and she was glad when he turned away, beginning to lead her past his horse.  
  
They walked together with silence easily invading their privacy. It was beginning to get on Layla's nerves slightly but something made her hesitate to speak.  
  
"It is quite interesting that you chose to mention the future," he began and she fixed her eyes on his face, "For a while now I have had something on my mind but I have yet to find the perfect opportunity to mention my thoughts to you."  
  
Her eyebrows knitted together in a mixture of concentration and confusion. "My Lord?" she urged him. He had her full attention, a feat that not many had accomplished.  
  
He stopped hastily, whirling to face her and taking her other hand in his. He held them in front of him, his eyes dancing with an emotion that was closest to happiness. ^Happiness? Reed? ^ She did her best to keep her thoughts from showing on the surface and regarded him as his smile widened.  
  
"It has occurred to me My Dear, that time is passing far too quickly before us," he informed her, just causing her curiosity to grow. "What I mean to say is that people can be with you at one moment in live as long as ours before disappearing without a trace the next. Is it so wrong for this to worry a man?"  
  
She shook her head, her hair brushing her shoulders gently as she moved. "It is quite easy to understand why you would worry M'Lord, I am just wondering why you wish to tell me all this. I would have thought there would have been many suitable gentlemen for you to speak with…"  
  
"That may be so, but why would I wish to speak with one of them when it does not involve them?"  
  
A feeling that was not at all pleasant was beginning to flood Layla's body. For once in her life she was not sure how this would play out. "I must apologise M'Lord, I do not follow you."  
  
"No it is I that should apologise Layla. For a long time now I have been happy to share you with other men but I am getting to the point where I long for someone special to keep me company throughout the long years."  
  
His eyes met her gaze and she knew that her eyes were wide with shock and an amount of fear. She had to be mistaken, he was surely not intending to do what she thought he was.  
  
"My Lady Layla, it would be a great honour if you would agree to accompany me as time passes. I am aware that you are a free spirit that does not wish to be caught but I promise you that marriage would not imprison you in the slightest."  
  
She had to turn away then. Even she, one of the originals of her kind could not look him in the eyes. She had managed to keep her panic and disgust at bay while she remained facing him but now she stared into the distance in dismay. Taking a moment to calm herself, she glanced back in his direction only to find him far from angry. Instead he appeared to understand her, but that was of course impossible for he hand no idea who she truly was.  
  
"I understand that this is a shock," Reed told her, his hands falling from her own and opening in a gesture of apology, "It is not difficult to realise that someone with a personality like your own would not wish to submit herself to a marriage. But I urge you to take your time to consider the possibilities before you decline my offer."  
  
She let herself nod, almost numb with shock while her mind was acting logically. It was pointing out to her that the time to leave was near. However she could not just disappear straight away, he would certainly expect her to try and run from him tonight. How could she live up to his assumptions? No, she would wait calmly and perhaps even give the vampire an answer. Reed angry was not something she wanted to experience and telling him what she was would send fear through him. He was not the type to let anyone become move powerful than him. If he felt threatened he would deal with it. Layla certainly did not want to be dealt with.  
  
With a shrug of his shoulders Reed tilted his head in the direction they had come from before moving past her. She turned to follow him, heading in the general direction of their mounts. She needed to talk to Tivona. There were preparations to be making. 


End file.
